Salt block mold



Jan. 14, 1941. L. BERGAN SALT BLOCK MOLD Filed Nov. 25, 1938 IIL ,ZJeQumLs flew-3am ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to molds, and its general object is to provide a mold that is primarily designed for forming cattle salt blocks which can be readily handled in that blocks made by the use of my mold include recesses in the ends thereof to provide hand receiving means or handles to facilitate lifting and carrying the same, it being understood that blocks of this character weigh approximately fifty pounds and as now made have uninterrupted smooth faces, with the result extreme difiiculty is experienced in handling the same, but blocks made by my mold will completely overcome that disadvantageous feature, as will be apparent.

A further object is to provide a salt block mold that includes end die plates having bosses or projections thereon to form the hand receiving recesses in the ends of the block, and the mold is capable of forming blocks having beveled edges about the margins of each of the faces thereof.

Another object is to provide a mold of the character set forth, that includes relatively movable plates providing a closure for each end of the body of the mold, so as to allow easy and expeditious removal of the formed block therefrom.

A still further object is to provide a mold that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely efiicient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a form of my mold that includes end die plates made up of connected sections movable relative to each other and with the outer or projection carrying sections in operative or molding position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the outer section in released position or just prior to the removal of the plate from the body of the mold.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the outer section removed from its companion or inner section.

Figure 4 is a similar view of the inner section.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a block formed of end plate or one with the sections immovably associated.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that the body I of my mold is shown as 7 being of hollow rectangular formation having open ends and the inner corners are filled as at 2 to provide beveled corners 3 on the block 4 along the longitudinal edges thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

The die members or closures for the open ends 0 of the body I are each made up of a pair of companion inner and outer plates 5 and 6 respectively, of a size and shape for fitting within the body for free sliding movement to allow easy insertion and removal thereof, and in order to pro- 15 vide the fitting association of the plates with the filled corners of the body, each of the plates have their corners cut away as best shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The inner plates 5 are formed with marginal flanges 1 having beveled inner faces to provide the beveled edges 8 about the margin of the ends of the block 4, and the inner plates also have rectangular openings 9 centrally disposed therethrough and arranged lengthwise thereof, as 25 shown in Figure 4, for receiving the bosses or projections l0 formed on and extending centrally from the outer plates 6. The bosses ID at their juncture with the plates 6 are square cornered to slidably fit within the openings 9, but from the square cornered portions, the bosses are tapered inwardly in beveled formation as best shown in Figure 3, to provide depressions ll of the shape as shown in Figure 5, in the ends of the block 4 when the latter is being pressed or molded, as 35 will be obvious upon inspection of Figures 1 and 2.

In the form of Figures 1 and 2, the outer plates are movable relative to the inner plates, and for that purpose, the inner plates have substantially long headed screw bolts I2 threaded or otherwise 40 secured thereto adjacent the corners thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, with the outer plates slidably mounted on the bolts for disposal beyond the open ends of the body when the latter is filled with salt to facilitate the removal of the plates from the body, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 2 and the outer plates preferably have beveled bolt receiving openings for the heads of the bolts to be countersunk therein, as likewise shown in Figure 2.

In the form of Figure 6, the closure plates for the ends of the body are identical to those of the other form, and the parts thereof are numbered accordingly, but it will be noted that the plates of Figure 6 are immovably secured together by headed screw bolts l3.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawing, it is believed that it will be obvious that the projections or bosses ll] of either of the forms of end closures will provide the depressions l I in the ends of the block 4 and that the depressions in fact provide hand receiving means or handles to facilitate lifting and carrying the blocks, and by the use of the relatively movable plates, with the bosses carried by the outer plates, the depressions will be formed substantially perfect or in other words free from cavities or the like.

In the use of my mold, the body is preferably disposed in an upright position as shown :in Figure 1, with a supporting block l4 disposed for receiving the lower end closure that is inserted therein, thence the body is substantially filled with moistened salt, and the upper end closure is inserted. Pressure is applied to the upper end closure for compressing the salt, as will be apparent, and when the salt becomes set in block formation, the closures are removed and the block extracted from the body.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A salt block mold comprising a hollow body having open ends, means slidably mounted in each open end of the body for closing the same, said means each comprising inner and outer plates secured together for relative sliding movement, said inner plate having a centrally disposed opening therethrough and said outer plate having a boss on the inner side thereof in alignment with said opening and shaped to pass through said opening whereby when said plates are pressed together in said open ends of the body the bosses pass through the openings in the inner plates and form depressions in the ends of the material being molded in the mold.

2. A salt block mold comprising a hollow rectangular body having open ends and interiorly shaped to provide beveled corners along the longitudinal edges of a block being molded in the mold and fiat faces between said edges, closure means for each open end of the body and slidably mounted therein, said closure means each comprising an inner plate and an outer plate, headed screw bolts threaded in the inner plates adjacent to the corners thereof and the outer plates being slidably mounted on the screw bolts for movement relative to the inner plates for disposal of the outer plates beyond the open ends of the body when the latter is filled to facilitate the removal of the closure means therefrom, marginal flanges formed on the inner plates and having beveled inner faces to provide beveled edges on the ends of the block, said inner plates each having a centrally disposed rectangular shaped opening therethrough, a boss formed on and extending inwardly from each of the outer plates, the bosses being shaped to pass through the openings of the inner plates whereby when the plates of each closure means are pressed together in said open ends of the body, the bosses pass through said openings and form depressions in the ends of the block, and said bosses at their juncture with the outer plates having square cornered portions to slidably fit said openings and being tapered inwardly from the square cornered portions to shape the depressions accordingly.

LEWIS BERGAN. 

